Is it possible to buy a new bronze mirror?
April 3, 2019 3:40 PM Subscribe
It seems difficult to find/buy a non-glass, non-acrylic mirror, despite it being a thing humans did for thousands of years.
Glass mirrors are great and all, acrylic is neat too, but I want an old-fashioned disc of bronze polished to function as a mirror. Trying to find one to buy nets me a sea of glass mirrors with brass frames, or brownish acrylic mirrors. Surely I'm not the only person to want a bronze mirror, metal polishing technology can only have gotten better and AFAIK bronze isn't crazy precious or expensive metal. Did glass mirrors just make bronze mirrors so obsolete nobody ever wanted to polish metal that well ever again, even for decorative or heritage purposes?
Glass mirrors are great and all, acrylic is neat too, but I want an old-fashioned disc of bronze polished to function as a mirror. Trying to find one to buy nets me a sea of glass mirrors with brass frames, or brownish acrylic mirrors. Surely I'm not the only person to want a bronze mirror, metal polishing technology can only have gotten better and AFAIK bronze isn't crazy precious or expensive metal. Did glass mirrors just make bronze mirrors so obsolete nobody ever wanted to polish metal that well ever again, even for decorative or heritage purposes?
I've never seen one available in normal home retail channels. You may be able to get a metal worker or hobbyist to make one for you. Here's a DIY that makes it look like it's not so hard.
posted by quince at 4:41 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by quince at 4:41 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Do you have any electroplating companies near your area? If you start with zinc or steel cut to the desired shape, they can bronze-plate this for you and perhaps buff it to the desired shine.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 4:43 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 4:43 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
A couple flavors of brass sheets are available with a mirror-like finish on these pages:
260 Alloy Brass (click the Sheet & Strip option)
464 Alloy Brass
Likely yellower than you want but they would plate nicely.
posted by tinker at 5:25 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
260 Alloy Brass (click the Sheet & Strip option)
464 Alloy Brass
Likely yellower than you want but they would plate nicely.
posted by tinker at 5:25 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If you search for Roman replica bronze mirrors, you can find a number of them like this
posted by fimbulvetr at 6:10 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by fimbulvetr at 6:10 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
Also search for replica Celtic bronze mirrors, like this or this
posted by fimbulvetr at 6:25 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by fimbulvetr at 6:25 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: More of a toy: A Ø10 cm bronze Chinese Magic Mirror is available from Grand Illusions.
posted by tinker at 6:18 AM on April 4, 2019
posted by tinker at 6:18 AM on April 4, 2019
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posted by Freelance Demiurge at 3:59 PM on April 3, 2019 [4 favorites]